Freedom

• Alexandra Politova, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2020

“There has been a legend that somewhere there is a land, further than the horizon which spans over millions of forests and further” said Nixxie, Terri shook her head “that is nonsense, there are no other islands. Ours is the only one in this universe! Past the mountains in absolute nothing but air and that's it”, Nixxie looked down at the lush grass where she and Terri were sitting. Terri heard something in the far forest yelp loudly, it couldn't be mistaken it was so loud, Terri yelled, Nixxie was staring into the forest in a way Terri could tell she heard it. Out of the forest came a boy running.

The boy had calmed down and started to speak “a mysterious stone was found that has a engraving in it! It has a small island and at the top is written somewhere” he said. Terri looked at him with a weird glance, he had forgotten to say something important. Nixxie got up and asked him if he was ok but before he got to answer he fainted. It had taken some time until he awoke, a glaze of golden light had covered. “Alright, there in fact is an island at the end of those far mountains, and on it is the thing that is most desired” he said, “told ya” said Nixxie and Terri replied with a sour sigh. “But you must remember if you go follow the cat through the forest and do not look at the mice that it's after, if you hear something in the bush clutch the stone I will give you. when you arrive don’t turn back until you have jumped on the island”
He said before getting up and dropping a stone, before they could ask him questions he ran and vanished.

They, no doubt, wanted what was most desired to bring to their elders and show they were worthy of their own lives without any “I need to help you”, so they set off and Nixxie grabbed the stone he dropped, it had the symbol of a island and on top was written “somehwheree”, seemed it was written long long ago because of the weird spelling. After a long walk which should have exhausted them they were in front of the forest. in fact they were so into getting their own lives they didn't take the needed break. They didn't feel tired, Terri noticed the cat and they followed it in so much joy they didn't realize the noise in the bush and looked at the mice in joy. It was the mountain! All they had to do was climb it and jump, they climbed and didn’t avoid any sharp sticks. They were so happy, blood was drooling and when they arrived nothing was on the island. They were so disappointed, right about when Nixxie was going to throw the stone in anger she noticed, it didn't say “somewhere”, it said “nowhere” and where the picture was it wrote “freedom”, alass.